Slabbed a big Red Oak on Saturday

[Todd Burch]

About 36" on the small end and 42" on the big end inside the bark. 9.5' long. Most slabs were around 11/4 thick. HEAVY!!! The log had a bit of a taper to it (as most do), and I did not take the time to raise the small end. That caused the pith to be about 6" different in elevation when I was cutting it. So, instead of cutting slabs that would have pith running through them, I cut the center slab to fully contain the pith. Sometime in the future, I will saw it to get quarter sawn boards from either side of the pith.

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Here's the stack with all wood from the two logs. Big stack. (Looks like I need to straighten it up a bit…!!, which I will do when I cut up the 6" thick slab)

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I also cut a nice pecan log, about the same length. Cut 16+ (kept 16) boards of 5/4 material from it, all 6" or 7" wide. (Some got sold, so I'm not certain of the exact count.) Got some nice looking boards. The pecan is the 3 layers of pink wood above the 2 middle slabs. Also got a 9/4 slab, 19" at the narrow.

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In the first picture of the red oak, I'm cutting the top crown off the log. I reclaimed 9 4/4 boards from that crown, and I got 16 5/4 boards from the bottom crown. Top 3 layers in the stack.

Someone please comment, but I think cutting at a slight taper causes more cathedral grain to be present, which in flat sawn wood, I don't mind at all.

[Tom Hogard]

Milling parallel to the pith yields more cathedral grain, parallel to the bark yields less. If you are looking for pronounced cathedral gain (in short sections), look for a log with sweep and mill the horns, the hump will have the complimentary grain pattern.

[Todd Burch]

Thanks Tom.

Here are a couple more pictures. They are trickling in from all the folks who were taking pictures. I hosted a field trip for a dozen members of the woodworking guild in Katy, Texas. Fed them yard bird for lunch too.

This is the pecan log I cut and a better picture of the pecan slab.

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[Scott T Smith]

That's a workout!

[Todd Burch]

Sure was. After all that was cut up, I sawed a 16' post oak to get a boxed heart 6X6 out of it, while trying to reclaim as much side material in 4/4 as I could. That was some head scratching there! I got 3 4/4 boards, but should have gotten 6 or 7. Will do better next time.

I've sold two slabs already. Sold the Pecan slab for $100 and a (25" / 31") x 2 5/8" x 9' slab for $200. Woo Hoo! Gonna buy me some EZ Dogs now.

[John TenEyck]

Good stuff, Todd. Selling a few slabs always helps and justifies a few new toys to make it easier. Nice looking mill you have there. Better sell some more slabs!

Are you able to sell slabs green? I couldn't sell a one until I started kiln drying them. Now it's really easy.

John

[Todd Burch]

Hi John.

I've sold 4 so far, all green. I have 7 more I have not advertised, but would sell them in a heartbeat if an offer came my way.

I have a 10' cypress slab that has a bit of taper to it. Off the top of my head, I think it's probably 22" at the wide end and 10" at the narrow end. I think I'll probably cut it in half and glue it together to make as "squarish" a top as I can, giving it a crooked glue line, then square it up further from there and sell it.

I need a kiln, or need to find one close. I found a guy with one in Houston, but he wanted $2/bf to dry wood. Too rich for my blood.

[Scott T Smith]

Brandon Berdoll has one near Bastrop, but I have to say that if the slab is 3" - 4" thick, $2.00 per bd ft ain't a bad deal.